PotC Twilight Zone: In the Blood
by puddytat1972
Summary: If life gave you a second chance, what would you do with it? What would Jack do? A PotC/Twilight Zone crossover.


**IN THE BLOOD**

Jack Sparrow stood on the fo'c's'le of his ship at dusk and slowly turned a 360 degree rotation while looking through his telescope to see what he could find on the horizon. There was nothing, absolutely nothing except the setting sun blazing in the west, the masts obstructing his view to the southwest, then the entire rest of the circle showed a perfect ocean horizon that was nearly, but not quite, lost to the darkening sky in the east. Most people would think it was a stunning view, one that most landlubbers never had a chance to see. When seen by someone with a natural wanderlust like Jack, it was the very definition of freedom and the excitement of another possible adventure just over the horizon. But tonignt, perhaps only because he had allowed the rum to wear off a bit, Jack found that he didn't feel so much like his adventurous self, and the sight of all this empty ocean became a bit...unnerving.

He put down the telescope and shook his head a bit. He was being ridiculous. Hadn't he seen that exact same view countless times before? There was no reason to be bothered by it this evening. He needed rum. That would solve everything. He collapsed his telescope and dropped it into his coat pocket with the idea that he was going to get some, but before he left, he took one last look at the horizon. There was something about that view that felt familiar, almost like a strong case of deja vu. Except, it wasn't the sense that he had been there or done that before that made him so uneasy. In fact, for as often as he had sailed these waters, that feeling would almost be expected. It had more to do with a feeling for what would come afterward, even though he had no idea what that might be. It was almost a feeling of dread, and (dare he think it?) fear.

_Captain Jonathan Sparrow, a successful merchant sailor who, after standing up to the EIC for what he believed was right, lost his ship, his livelihood and his standing with civilized society to become the notorious pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow. He had been trusted by one of the EIC's top men with a valuable cargo, human cargo, an honor usually saved for the most seasoned and favored merchant captains in the Company. Young Captain Sparrow had an opportunity to rise within the Company's ranks at an unprecedented rate, but somewhere in the middle of his voyage from San Juan to the Carolinas, he made a decision. It was a decision that would cost him everything and propel his life down a road filled with hardship, treachery, and even a deal with the Devil. Years later, Captain Jack Sparrow would spend many a night over a bottle of rum wondering if he had done the right thing and wondering if, knowing what he knows now, he would have done anything different. Tonight, he will ask himself these same questions as he sails his ship into The Twilight Zone..._

Jack headed toward his cabin to get himself a bottle of rum, but before he even reached the stairs, Gibbs met him on the fo'c's'le and stopped him. "Cap'n, I got the men haulin' water out o' the bilge again. I think the leak's gettin' worse. I'm afraid the ship ain't gonna hold 'til we get t' Bermuda."

"She'll hold. She's been through worse," Jack said as he attempted to walk around him.

Gibbs wasn't so easily ignored and stood in his way. "Aye, but that blow we took near Santiago was a mite close to the waterline, and we don't have what we need t' patch her up right," he argued.

"Break down some of those crates," Jack told him.

"We did, and now there's limes rollin' all over the hold. That kind o' wood just ain't meant to be used fer ship buildin'."

Jack raised his brow. "Limes," he said plainly.

Gibbs ignored the comment. "We shoulda turned back t' Cuba right after the battle an' got her fixed. Now we're half way t' Bermuda, days away from land in any direction, and she's takin' on water. All this 'cause _you_ insisted on usin' Bermuda cedar."

"Are you questioning my judgement as captain, Master Gibbs?" Jack's face was stern.

"Ay...No, I jus' don't understand why it's so important t' have her repaired in Bermuda."

"The _Pearl's_ a special lady, Mr. Gibbs. We've been through a lot together. You know that. I need to take good care of her so she'll continue to take care of me. Savvy?"

Gibbs nodded as though he understood, but his face was heavy with defeat. Even if by some miracle, he could get Jack to admit this was a foolish thing to do, it hardly mattered now. Bermuda was the closest land to their current position, and they would either make it or sink. There was no other option. "I see, Cap'n," he said and headed back toward the main deck.

"Mister Gibbs?"

Gibbs stopped and turned around. Jack's face wasn't nearly as stern as it had been moments before. In fact, he looked a little concerned now. "What is it, Cap'n?" Gibbs asked.

"You're one who's keenly aware of signs and omens. Does this night feel odd to you?"

"Odd? Like how?"

Jack waved his hands around as he tried to come up with something concrete to describe it, but he came up short. "I don't know. It's as though something's...not right."

"Aside from our heading?"

Jack frowned at him. It was clear he was worried about something, so Gibbs looked up at the stars that were visible in the early evening sky and stood still for a moment while he checked the wind. Jack stood next to him and looked in the same general direction, but he was looking at something different, the last traces of the horizon before it became almost one with the night sky.

"Strange, isn't it?" Jack whispered after a moment.

"No."

"No?"

"No. I don't sense anything outta place, Jack. There's nothin', not a ship or an island fer miles, just as there never are in these waters. The stars are all lined up right, we've a favorable wind an' the moon's nearly full. Aside from that hole in the hull, everything's just as it should be. Now, I'm goin' down there t' help the men rework that patch job we did. You stay here an'... be Cap'n."

Jack didn't care for Gibbs's tone, and he certainly didn't like being given orders by his first mate, even if it was what he wanted to do in the first place. In an effort to assert his captaincy he shouted after Gibbs, "You do that, and make sure they get all the water out of the bilge! Put three, no, four men on it!... And get those limes in a bucket or something!"

"Aye, Cap'n," Gibbs shouted over his shoulder from the main deck and continued below.

***

Several hours and a bottle of rum later Jack was nodding off in a chair behind his desk in his cabin. Every few minutes, his head fell forward suddenly and startled him awake, prompting him to decide it was time to get himself to bed, just as soon as he finished plotting a course for the next voyage. But a short time later, his eyes would close, his breath would get shallow again, and the whole process would start over. This continued for a while until finally, something new woke him up. There was some sort of commotion going on with his crew outside.

Jack jumped up and grabbed his coat to go out and investigate. What on earth could they be shouting about all the way out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in calm weather? Just as he was ready to open the door, Gibbs pounded on the outside and shouted, "Captain! We've discovered a ship!"

Jack opened the door. "A ship, you say?"

"Aye, ship! We seen her lights out there on the water. It's as if she came outta nowhere, Jack. One minute, 'twas nothin' but the night sky an' open sea. Next minute, there she was, plain as day. The men think she musta seen us first and been hidin' with her lamps out, but I don't know. I'm tryin' t' figure what made her light 'em up again. Somethin's not right 'bout this."

Jack gave Gibbs a smug, _I told you so_, grin and went out on deck with his telescope. Just as Gibbs had described, there was another ship on the water. It was difficult to tell at that distance just by her silhouette against the moonlight and the placement of the lamps, but he suspected it was a ship roughly the size of the _Black Pearl_. He considered it for a moment then told Gibbs, "Go after her and prepare to board. We'll fire a shot across the bow, and hopefully, she'll surrender. Likely as not, it's one of those slave ships on its way to the Carolinas with little of value on it for us. But if nothing else, we might get some decent planks for this ship that'll get us to Bermuda."

Immediately, Gibbs shouted orders to the crew and they changed their heading slightly to meet up with the newly discovered vessel. As the _Pearl_ moved in closer and her intent became obvious, the other ship changed course and pulled out the sweeps. Jack smiled and turned to Gibbs. "They're going to try to outrun us. They've no idea they're being chased by the fastest ship in the Caribbean. A vessel that big, I'll bet she's loaded. We'll overtake her in no time." But the chase lasted much longer than Jack expected. Both vessels were sailing at full speed, but the space between them was barely closing. After what seemed like forever, the _Pearl_ managed to get close enough to fire an effective warning shot. "Fire cannon!" Jack shouted, and it was done.

Jack waited for the other ship to stop running and raise a white flag, but instead, she kept on her current course and never even slowed down. "Silly buggers still think they can outrun us," he said to Gibbs. "That captain must be out of his head."

"Do you think they plan t' fight us?" Gibbs asked.

"If they did, I'd think they'd have shot back by now. Hoist the Roger and we'll try again."

They moved in closer and fired another shot. This time, the other ship stopped within a few minutes, and the white flag was up. "Alright men, close in and board her!" Jack shouted to his crew.

As the _Pearl_ caught up to the surrendering ship, her details became more visible under the moonlight. Jack could see that she was a galleon just like his own, right down to shape of the windows in the captain's quarters. The only major difference Jack could see from where he stood was that this ship was richly decorated with dark and light stained woods, instead of the solid black wood that made up the _Pearl_. That, and she flew the ensign of the EIC. The similarities between the two were so striking, it was likely that the ships were made by the same builder, and therefore, this ship would also be made with Bermuda cedar. Perfect.

The ships lined up next to each other and Jack boarded with his crew to find the other captain and crew waiting for them. He was about to announce his arrival, when the captain of the surrendering crew spoke up first. "We've waved a flag of truce, but I'll have you know, if you go back on your word, we're ready to fight. I highly recommend that you and your men return to your own ship and leave us be. We hold nothing of value to your kind here, only human cargo, and if we or any of this cargo are harmed, you'll have the weight of the Company bearing down on your heads."

Jack could see the captain standing a few feet in front of him, but the moon was shining from behind, and he couldn't make out his face in the night shadows. This put him at a disadvantage, because he wanted to read his eyes. Obviously, he was dealing with a strong captain, but that was all he could ascertain, making it all the more important that Jack didn't give away anything in his own eyes. He gave a cold smile and said, "Strong words coming from a captain whose ship has just been boarded by the crew of the infamous _Black Pearl_." The surrendering crew looked at each other and some started murmuring. Jack gave them a moment to allow the realization to sink in.

"Infamous, you say?" the captain responded. "I've never heard of it. Tell us what you want with us so we can be on our way. I'm a busy captain and don't have time for this tomfoolery."

Jack had initially admired the captain's boldness, but now it began to irritate him. What sort of merchant captain would refer to a pirate attack as "tomfoolery?" But what bothered him even more was the familiarity in his voice and even his words, and... Jack looked around the vessel and noticed that the similarities between the ships became even more apparent now that he was standing on the deck. His heart jumped in his chest as an absurd thought came to his mind.

"Is something wrong, Captain?" the surrendering captain asked.

"I'll ask the questions here!" Jack shouted. "Give us your name and the name of this vessel!"

"The name is Captain Jonathan Sparrow, and you are standing aboard the _Wicked Wench_," he said coolly. "Now, might we have the same courtesy? What shall I call you, _Captain_?" A few stifled laughs and more murmering fell over Captain Jonathan's crew, but he raised his hand and it was stopped immediately.

"I'm, er, my name is Captain Jack Sss... Jack. My name is Captain Jack," he stammered. Jack was well aware that he was losing control of the situation. He made it a point not to look at his men, because he feared their reaction to this unusually strange behavior, even for him. Instead, he decided to get to the bottom of this once and for all. He approached Captain Jonathan, who stepped back and reached for his pistol before he realized that Jack didn't intend to fight him, and snatched his tricorn hat from his head. What the moonlight revealed was a young man, roughly fifteen years his minor, with long, thick, dark hair tied back into a single braid, and a moustache and beard that was trimmed close to his chin. There was no kohl under his eyes, but apart from that, the man's face was a spitting image of himself. The two of them stared at each other for a moment, and while Jonathan was clearly irritated with Jack for coming at him and removing his hat, Jack's face revealed only disbelief.

"Are you some sort of lunatic?" Jonathan asked. "Give me my hat!" He snatched it back and straightened it out before placing it back on his head.

Jack didn't resist. He only backed away slowly, never quite taking his eyes off of Jonathan until he reached Gibbs. He grabbed him by his vest, moved in close and nearly whispered, "Get some men to secure this ship, then meet me in me cabin."

"Jack, are you alright? What's gotten int' you?"

"I need rum," was all he said and returned to his ship and his cabin.

***

It wasn't long before Gibbs came knocking at his door again. "Come in," Jack shouted and took a long pull from his bottle of rum.

Gibbs came inside and found Jack sitting behind his desk looking visibly shaken. "What was that all about, Jack?" he asked as he found a chair and took a seat on the other side of it. "What got you so shaken' you couldn't even remember yer own name?"

"I remember me name!" Jack shouted and took another drink from the bottle. "Obviously, you didn't hear _his_ name. Jonathan Sparrow, Mr. Gibbs. His name was Captain Jonathan Sparrow!"

Gibbs stroked his beard and thought about that for a moment. "Come t' think of it, the man does look a bit like you. Do you think he's yer brother or somethin'? One o' Teague's kids? Nah, then he'd be Jonathan Teague..."

"It's _me_, you simple-minded goat!" Jack didn't usually lose his temper so easily with Gibbs, but he had no patience at this point. Gibbs looked at him as though he had lost his mind (which he wasn't entirely sure that he hadn't), so he went on. "I told you about me past, didn't I? My given name? The _Black Pearl's _name? Don't tell me you forgot, what with all the stories you've told."

"Aye you told me, but you made me promise never t' tell those stories. You told me t' ferget about 'em, so I did. Hadn't thought of 'em in years. Now that you mention it, it's a coincidence, alright, but I jus' didn't put it all t'gether 'til now. Wasn't thinkin' 'bout it t' be honest. Yer not sayin' we've done some sorta time travel are you? 'Cause that jus' don't make any sense, Jack. It's not possible."

Jack was listening to Gibbs, but only barely. He knew how crazy he sounded, but he also knew what he had seen and heard. He stared off into the distance while Gibbs spoke, biting on a nail and trying to think of some other explanation, but none came. When Gibbs finally finished, he took another drink of rum and said, "The last cargo I carried as a merchant captain was a shipment of slaves from San Juan to Charles Towne. Seemed like a good opportunity at the time." Jack gave a nervous laugh. "You should have seen the looks on some of the senior captain's faces when they learned Beckett gave the route to me. Just pick them up in San Juan, take them across to Charles Towne, and bring home the wealth. That was all."

He shook his head and paused for a moment before looking at Gibbs with a seriousness Gibbs hadn't seen in his face in a long time. "I couldn't do it, Josh. The cries, the rank, the sickness and death, the knot in the pit of me own stomach. I couldn't do it. We made a stop in Florida and with the help of Tia Dalma and some of me closest men, we staged a slave revolt and I set them free. Might have worked too, had one of the men not turned me in. Taught me a lesson about trusting others, I'll tell you that much." He took another drink from the bottle.

Gibbs felt for him, knowing that Jack had carried that burden with him for a long time, but now he feared it had finally sent him over the edge. "Jack, you have t' realize there's slave ships goin' along this route all the time. It don't mean it's you an' yer ship from years past. Don't you realize what yer sayin'?

"But his name, the ship's name. I'm saying either it's me, or it's a _huge_ coincidence. Which is more likely?"

Gibbs raised his brow at him

Jack sighed. "You're right. I sound like a mad man, but there was something else, too. We were boarded by this pirate crew on the way to the Carolinas. I don't recall what they wanted after all these years and all that happened just afterward, but it was something simple and benign. We gave it to them and were on our way. I had nearly forgotten about it until now, but it happened much like it happened tonight. Josh, if that's me over there, I can't allow him do what he's about to do. He must deliver those slaves." Jack's voice was urgent and almost pleading, but Gibbs's expression hadn't changed. Jack looked down at his desk, and with another heavy sigh, he said, "Alright, bring Captain Jonathan to me so I can tell him what we need and figure out once and for all what's going on here. But I want you to look at him, and look at his ship. See for yourself if it doesn't look like me and the _Black Pearl_."

"I'll look," Gibbs agreed. "Meanwhile, I want you t' put that rum away. It might be part o' yer problem."

"Since when?" Jack said before taking another swallow.

Gibbs rolled his eyes and left to bring back Captain Jonathan Sparrow. He found him sitting bound on the _Wicked Wench's _deck with his crew while some of Jack's crew held their pistols on them. "Cap'n Sparrow," Gibbs called out, "our cap'n wants t' see you now."

Jonathan looked up at Gibbs and grinned. He didn't flash any golden teeth, but the smile was otherwise eerily familiar. "You mean, Captain J-J-Jack?" he asked. His crew broke into laughter until Jack's men waved their pistols at them. Gibbs reached down, grabbed Jonathan roughly by the arm and pulled him to his feet. Jonathan was clearly offended by the manhandling, but he didn't resist. He followed Gibbs across the gangplank, onto the _Black Pearl_ and to Jack's cabin door where Gibbs began cutting the ropes from around his wrists. Meanwhile, Jonathan looked around at his captor's ship. "What sort of ship is this?" he asked Gibbs.

"She's a galleon," Gibbs said, "much like yer own."

"I'll say she is." Once Gibbs finished cutting the ropes, Jonathan reached out a hand and ran it across some of the woodwork, but he didn't say anymore.

Gibbs opened the door and led Jonathan inside. "Here he is, Cap'n."

"Thank you, Mr. Gibbs. Leave us, now, if you will," Jack said.

"But Jack..." Not only was it unsafe to leave the captain alone in his cabin with his prisoner even under normal circumstances, but Gibbs wasn't all that comfortable with Jack's state of mind.

"I said leave us, Mr. Gibbs. I'll let you know when you're needed again."

Gibbs didn't argue anymore. He left the cabin and closed the door behind him, leaving Jonathan standing in the middle of the room and looking around the place as though he was trying to make sense of it. "Have a seat, Captain Sparrow," Jack said as he pointed to the chair that Gibbs had been sitting in. When Jonathan took a seat, Jack asked, "What do you think of me ship? Stunning, isn't she?"

In spite of being in enemy territory, Jonathan didn't seem too concerned about sitting alone in a room with his captor. He was clearly distracted by his surroundings. He nodded slightly but didn't say anything or even look at Jack.

"Captain Sparrow!" Jack shouted. "I will not be ignored on me own ship!"

Jonathan jumped and turned to Jack. "My apologies, Captain Jack, but I was just noticing how much your cabin looked like me own, absent the, uh," he waved his hands a bit, "clutter."

Jack wouldn't have taken offense to that in any case, much less now while he was more interested in this man who sat across from him than anyone's opinion of his housekeeping. He took a moment to study his face. At first, Jonathan stared back as though he expected Jack to say something, but after a while, he started looking more closely at Jack as well, making the moment last a little longer than it should have. As much as Jack wanted to ask him personal questions, questions that would settle this matter once and for all, he didn't want to look like a fool in front of this man again. He had done enough of that already. Instead, he got straight to business. "I'm sure it's no surprise to you that we didn't stop your ship for your cargo," Jack began.

"Why, no it's not. It's a surprise to me that you've stopped me ship at all," Jonathan interrupted.

"Silence, Captain Sparrow!"

Jonathan pressed his lips together and gave him a pious look.

Jack's face twitched at his obvious insincerity, but he knew better than to draw attention to it. "I'm going make this simple. My ship has a hole in the hull and she's taking on too much water. We've been able to patch her up using crates, but..." He paused when Jonathan raised an eyebrow. "I know, but it's all we had at the time," he continued. "I stopped your ship, because I was hoping you had some spare planks or timber that we could use to get her to Bermuda. If you will grant us that, we'll repair our ship, and leave you and your men to your business unscathed."

"And if we don't?" Jonathan replied.

Normally, Jack would be surprised by this man's gall. Most merchant captains would be letting out a sigh of relief just then, glad that all these pirates wanted was some timber and they would be on their way. But the longer Jack sat and talked with Jonathan, the more the memory of this exact conversation from so many years ago came to mind. A knowing smile came to Jack's face. Jonathan was thrown off a little by it, since he didn't have Jack's advantage. His look was smug, but Jack saw the discomfort in his own eyes. "You wouldn't want to allow a fellow captain and his crew to drown at sea because you were too spiteful to give them what they needed, now would you?" Jack asked.

Now it was Jonathan's turn to twitch, but he recovered quickly and started examining his nails. "You're all a bunch of pirates. Why should I care?" he said.

"Because you've got a bit of pirate in you too," Jack said.

Jonathan looked up, alarmed. "That would be slander, my dear friend. I have no such thing."

Jack leaned closer to Jonathan and stared hard at him from across the desk. "Who's your father, Jackie?"

Jonathans eyes shifted and he bit his bottom lip a little before he asked, "We're related, aren't we? Otherwise, how would you know?"

"Know what?

"Who me father is." Jonathan looked at Jack again. "I saw a resemblance between us from the moment you boarded me ship. Who's _you're_ father."

"I don't know me father," Jack lied. "And as before, I'll be the one asking questions here, not you." Jonathan brought his hands up in mock submission, but Jack had had enough of his own antics. He stood up abruptly and slammed his hands down on the desk. "Stop playing games Jonathan! I don't think you understand the seriousness of all of this."

Suddenly, the pretenses were gone, and Jonathan was as serious as Jack. "I think I do. I'll get you your timber, Captain Jack. You're right, me conscience won't allow me to let your men drown. Now, may I go back to me ship so that I may give orders to bring the planks aboard?"

It was obvious that Jonathan didn't understand. How could he? He had no way of knowing what Jack knew. Not yet. He tried to calm himself down a bit while he decided how he was going to explain all of this to his younger self without completely giving everything away. That would only convince Jonathan even more that he was crazy. He sat down in his chair again and rested his head in his hands while looking down at the desk in front of him. "Your conscience," Jack began slowly without looking up. "You must be careful of your conscience. It can lead you to make foolish decisions, ones that will plague you more doggedly than any guilt you may harbor in your soul. You must learn to put it away." He looked up at Jonathan again to see what he was making of this.

Jonathan thought about the words for a moment before he spoke. "Are you saying you don't want the planks?"

Jack moaned and dropped his head down on the desk.

"My apologies, Captain Jack, but I don't see where you're going with this."

"The slaves, Jonathan! The slaves must go to Charles Towne, or else..." Jack stopped.

"Or else what?"

"Or else you'll be no more than a bloody pirate, just like me." Jack looked up.

"And you don't want that?" asked Jonathan. "Only a moment ago, you said it was in me blood."

Jack didn't answer him. He only stared across the room as something had just occurred to him. Meanwhile, something had occurred to Jonathan as well. "Hold on there," he said, "how do the slaves figure into all of this? What makes you think they're not going to Charles Towne?"

"Because you have a conscience, Captain Sparrow," Jack said as he finally broke away from his thoughts and met eyes with Jonathan again. "And pirate is in your blood." He nodded his head slowly as he began to understand, and a slow smirk spread across his face. "Someday, you'll square with that, but not for a long time. Oh, you'll tell yourself that you have, but you won't. Not for many years."

Jonathan looked at him skeptically. "_Riiight_," he said. "May I go back to me ship now?"

"Yes, Captain Sparrow, you may." Jack stood up and walked Jonathan to the door. "Mister Gibbs!" he called out when he opened it. Gibbs was already standing nearby in case anything happened. "Escort Captain Sparrow back to his ship. He has graciously offered to send some of his men with some planks for repairs."

"Right this way, Cap'n Sparrow," Gibbs said and led Jonathan away.

***

It didn't take long before Captain Jonathan had several of the slaves moving planks onto the _Black Pearl_. While his crew was certainly able bodied and willing to do the job, Jack knew that the reason he chose the slaves was to give them an opportunity to move around and stretch their limbs. The journey had been a horrific one for them, and from the moment he realized how understated the ghastly stories about the slave ships had been, he did all he could to make it better. (Albeit it, there wasn't much he _could_ do with so many bodies packed into such a small space.) The longer Jack stood on the deck of his ship and watched the weary, demoralized men moving back and forth with the planks, and some of their women and children taking this precious opportunity to wander around the deck of the _Wicked Wench_, the more certain he was that he had made the right choice all those years ago.

One woman in particular caught Jack's eye as she moved around the deck of the _Wicked Wench_. She was the only one who spoke English well enough for Jonathan to communicate with, and she was the one who the others seemed to trust and go to with their needs, so she was designated as his liaison between them. She would befriend Jonathan, and together, they would plan the great escape. He watched her as she used her authority to organize the movement of the planks between the ships and decide whose turn it was to go above deck for some much needed air and exercise. For a long while, she seemed oblivious to him watching her, but when the men had nearly completed their task, she suddenly looked up and saw Jack. She flashed one of her wide, flirtatious grins as it became obvious that she knew who he was. She headed toward the gangplank to board the _Pearl_ while Jack waited at the other end for her to arrive.

"Tia Dalma, you're as lovely as I remember," Jack greeted her as she stepped aboard.

Tia Dalma never broke her smile as she looked him over from head to toe, then she picked up one of his dreads and ran her fingers across it. "T'ank you, Jack. You don' look bad, youself," she said as she let go of his hair and proceeded to slide her hand seductively down his chest. Jack wasn't quite sure what she had in mind, but he certainly wasn't going to object, that was, until her hand reached his belt, then suddenly grabbed his compass and pulled it off.

"Oy! What are you doing with that?" he asked while unsuccessfully tryin to take it back.

"You remember when I give dis to you? It was before we left de ship in Florida, for de help you give us," she reminded him. "I need it back now, so I can give it to him."

"You mean, you got that from me?" Jack asked, genuinely confused. "You didn't already have it?"

"Yes, I got it from you."

Jack thought about it for a moment. "But I got it from you."

"Yes, you did."

"Wouldn't that make it one of those para...paradigm...para..." Jack couldn't recall the word.

"Paradox."

"Yes, a paradox! Wouldn't that make this a paradox?"

Tia Dalma shook her head sympathetically, "You mortals have such finite min's. Everyt'ing is connected, Jack. Not'ing happen by accident." She touched his cheek, then turned to leave, taking the compass with her, but Jack placed his hand on her shoulder before she went too far. Tia Dalma looked back at him curiously.

Jack seemed a little sullen as he looked her in the eye and said, "Take care of him, now. He's going to need your help."

Tia Dalma placed her hand over his. "You know I will, Jack Sparrow." She gave him one last smile and returned to the _Wicked Wench_ as Jack watched, knowing what Captain Jonathan Sparrow had yet to endure, but resolving to let it be.

_It was St. Augustine who pointed out that men will go abroad to wonder at just about anything from the height of mountains, to the compass of the ocean, to the motion of the stars, but they will pass by themselves without wondering at all. Jack Sparrow was the exception to this rule. He passed by himself one night as he crossed the same stretch of ocean he had crossed so many years ago, but instead of continuing on his way, he stopped to wonder, and in doing so, made a useful discovery that he would carry with him for the rest of his life. Of all the changes that had taken place in his life, there was one constant. That was himself. As long as he knows himself and is comforable with who he is, he can contend with anything life sets before him, even if that thing is The Twilight Zone._


End file.
